Fresh Perspectives, Promising Scholars Showcased in New Journal, Armenian Forum
Princeton, N.J. (6 April 1998)—Armenian Forum, an independent journal of contemporary affairs, will debut in mid-April. The journal, a quarterly, features in-depth essays on topics ranging from public health in Armenia to Armenian music, from diaspora identity to oil in the Caspian.
The first issue of Armenian Forum is available free of charge to individuals who request it. A copy of the 128-page publication may be obtained by calling toll-free (888) 9-ARMEN-9. [Free sample issue offer expired 31 July 1998.]
The new journal, based in Princeton, N. J., is edited by Vincent Lima and Ara Sarafian. It is published by the Gomidas Institute.
Announcing the imminent debut of the journal, Lima noted that "a new generation of Armenians is emerging in a rapidly evolving world. There is a thirst for in-depth information, knowledgeable analysis, and fresh perspectives on new sets of questions.
"Articles in the first issue explore the relationship between sexuality and nationality, Caspian oil and Karabakh’s security, Armenian history and present-day challenges.
"Many of us are grappling with questions like these that go to the very core of our identity as Armenians. There is an ever-growing number of talented specialists out there, studying these issues. Armenian Forum brings these specialists and the Armenian public together.
"The journal serves as a resource for Armenian and non-Armenian scholars, journalists, and policy makers. It is edited, however, with the general reader—the educated nonspecialist—in mind," Lima concluded.
The Editorial Board of Armenian Forum includes distinguished academics as well as up-and-coming scholars based in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Armenia. They represent a range of perspectives and scholarly fields.
The first issue includes two commentaries:
- Levon Avdoyan, Armenian and Georgian area specialist at the Library of Congress, looks
at Armenian history for insights into the current state of affairs in the Republic of
Armenia, Karabakh, and the Armenian diaspora.
- Through a series of Polaroids, Brooklyn-based artist Linda Ganjian, explores "the tension of putting in a real setting a diasporan Armenian’s fantasy of what the motherland should look like."
The issue features an exchange on nationalism, sexuality, and Armenian diaspora identity:
- The lead article is by Anahid Kassabian, professor of communication and media studies at
Fordham University, and David Kazanjian, professor of English at Queens College. Kassabian
and Kazanjian analyze the classic documentary Back to Ararat (1988) with some of
the intellectual tools provided by critical theory; they explore "how national
affiliation and sexual attachment interact with, constitute, or otherwise illuminate each
other."
- H. Aram Veeser, professor of English at the City College of New York, takes issue with
Kassabian and Kazanjian’s interpretations, and offers a different take on Armenian
diaspora identity.
- Arlene Voski Avakian, professor of women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, responds to Kassabian and Kazanjian by examining the effect of Back to Ararat on her own emotions.
The inaugural issue also features
- a conversation with political scientists Arthur Martirosyan and Robert Krikorian on the
politics of Caspian oil and what they mean for Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia
- a report on a panel discussion on the state of Armenian studies
in the United States, featuring Professors Marc Nichanian (Columbia University), Khachig
Tölölyan (Wesleyan University), and George Bournoutian (Iona College)
- reviews of new CDs and books
To receive the inaugural issue free of charge and at no obligation, call toll-free (888) 9-ARMEN-9—that is (888) 927-6369—send email to forum@gomidas.org or write Armenian Forum, PO Box 208, Princeton, NJ 08542-0208. [Free sample issue offer expired 31 July 1998.]
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